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4
Mareleau Harvallis stood before the closed doors to her father’s study several moments before gathering the courage to enter. King Dimetreus had already taken his leave, which meant now was her chance. Yet she lingered, still stewing after her interaction with Princess Aveline. She required a clear head to do what she had to do next, so she needed to rein in her emotions. She’d been planning this for weeks. She wouldn’t let her plan fail now.
It was time to utilize hermagic trick. She planted a false smile on her lips and envisioned the persona she wanted to project. Confidence. Dignity. Authority. Not that manipulating her outer composure ever really worked with her father. King Verdian and Queen Helena were amongst the few who often seemed immune to her charms. Still, it was worth a shot. She needed all the pretend magic she could muster for the reckless actions she was about to take. With a deep breath, she pushed open one of the doors.
“Princess Mareleau.” Dowager Queen Bethaeny greeted her with a warm smile. It took no small effort not to sneer at the woman as Mareleau lowered into a polite curtsy. Mareleau had never had a reason to dislike Bethaeny before, but after the meeting she’d overheard, she found it hard not to despise her. She knew the queen wasn’t to blame for the proposed marriage between Larylis and the lost princess. According to Bethaeny, it had been Teryn’s idea. His mother had only played messenger. Either way, it gave Mareleau yet another reason to hate Teryn Alante—her fiancé—from the depths of her soul.
Once she rose from her curtsy, she faced her father’s desk.
King Verdian gave her an impatient look. “I did not summon you, daughter.”
“Yet I came anyway.”
“I am expecting someone else.”
She cocked her head innocently to the side. “Who might that be?”
He released a sigh and pinned her with a pointed glare. “Prince Larylis.”
“Oh, how convenient. He’s exactly who I came to speak to you about.” She opened her mouth to say more when the study doors opened again. Her pulse kicked up as she expected Larylis to enter the room. Instead, she gritted her teeth at the sight of Teryn. Her sneer was lost on him, for he didn’t so much as look at her. His eyes were locked on his mother.
His rigid posture—broad shoulders tense, chest heaving—stripped Mareleau’s mind of all previous thought. She’d never seen him looking anything other than the arrogant, composed prince he was. What in the name of the seven gods did he have to be so enraged about? More than that, did he not realize he was interrupting a very important meeting? One she’d plotted with stringent care?
Teryn’s voice came out strained as he spoke to Bethaeny. “Mother, did you offer a marriage alliance to Princess Aveline?”
She gave a gracious nod. “I did.”
“Between Aveline and whom?”
“Between Aveline and Larylis, of course.”
Mareleau internally roared with anger, but before she could let it out, her father cut in.
“Was it not your idea?” he barked.
Teryn’s jaw tightened as he looked from Verdian to Bethaeny. “It was my idea to form a marriage alliance between Menah and Khero. I had suggested nothing beyond that.”
Bethaeny skirted around to the front of Verdian’s desk and laid a placating hand on Teryn’s arm. “Darling, I simply executed your idea in the best possible way.”
“I didn’t ask you to do that, nor did I express the intricacies of my plan.”
The queen gave Teryn a knowing look, one Mareleau couldn’t quite decipher. “I had some inkling as to yourintricacies,” Bethaeny said, tone terse.
Teryn returned the look, green eyes flashing with anger. His words were clipped as he spoke through his teeth. “Clearly you didn’t.”
“I have something very important to discuss with my father,” Mareleau said, giving Teryn and Bethaeny an exaggerated smile that probably looked more like a snarl. “You’ll excuse us, won’t you?”
They both ignored her.
“Princess Aveline is not marrying Larylis,” Teryn said.
Mareleau blinked at him in surprise. When she managed to find her voice, she rushed to say, “I agree. She most certainly is not.”
Teryn frowned at her as if he hadn’t realized she was there until now.
“The princess has already agreed,” Verdian said.
“She agreed under false pretenses,” Teryn argued. “It was never my intention for her to marry Larylis.”
